Toilet tank stabilizer bracket



O 22, T1957 A.C. KEARNEY 2,810,136

TOILET TANK STABILIZER BRACKET Filed April 12. 1955 United States Patent Ofifice TOILET TANK STABILIZER BRACKET Andrew C. Kearney, Philadelphia, Pa. Application April 12, 1955, Serial No. 500,890

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-68) This invention relates to a bracket means for stabilizing a flush tank and preventing it from moving or shaking.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a simple, dependable and easily installed bracket means for anchoring a flush tank to a room wall or similar vertical support so that the flush tank is secure and prevented from moving.

In present toilet units, the flush tank is attached to the bowl and entirely supported thereby in spaced relation, at its rear wall, to a wall of the bathroom. With such assembly, the tank is subject to moving and shaking and such force is transmitted to the connection between the bowl and tank pressing the rubber washers between the bowl and the tank out of shape, breaking the bolts or cracking the bowl. To stabilize the tank, plumbers wedge blocks or the like between the room wall and the back wall of the tank. Such remedy is unsecure and unsightly, as are other make shift remedies.

In order to stabilize the tank in a dependable manner and in a way so as to not mar the appearance of the tank or wall, the bracket means of the present invention is provided, which means also provides a shelf behind the tank for securely holding toilet articles that are often placed on top of the tank.

The bracket means generally includes a pair of overlapping bars which are of a width that is substantiallyequal to the width of a tank and which have axial slots that receive bolt fasteners and provide the adjustment means to compensate for varying distances between the back wall of the tank and room wall. One bar has an upstanding hook that fits over the upper edge of the tank wall and the other bar has a downturned flange which is fastened by screw fasteners to the room wall.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the preferred form of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a toilet unit with the bracket means shown in end elevational view in position;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket means; and,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale of the installed bracket means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral designates a flush tank which is secured to the toilet bowl and has arear wall 12, having an upper edge 14. A lid 16 overlies the edge and covers the open top of the tank. The rear wall is positioned adjacent the side wall 18 of the room and the bracket means 20 is designed to anchor the tank to the wall 18.

The bracket means 20 includes a first flat bar 22 which is of a width equal to the back wall 12 of the tank and which has a front edge formed with an upstanding channel or hook 24. The book 24 includes a leg 26 which is integral with the front edge of the bar and disposed at right angles to the bar. A web portion 28 connects the leg 26 and the free leg 30 and is adapted to seat on the upper edge 14 of the tank wall with the legs 26 and 30 engaging the outer and inner surfaces of the wall.

Patented Oct. 22, 1957 The hook 24 is relatively thin so that the lid can seat in its usual Way over the upper edge of the tank wall. The hook is coextensive in width with the bar, as shown in Fig. 2.

The bracket means further includes a second flat bar 32 which is disposed in overlapping relation with the first bar and is axially movable relative thereto to compensate for varying distances between the wall 18 and the back wall 12 of the tank; Both bars are formed with registering, axially elongated slots 34, which receive bolts 36 that are tightened by wing nuts 38 on the underside of the bars.

The bar 32 has a rear edge formed with a depending, lateral flange 40 which is adapted to fit flat against the wall 18 and is formed with cross type slots 42 to receive screws 44, which are screwed into the wall 18 to anchor the bar 32 on the wall and position it laterally of the wall'18.

In use, the flange 40 is screwed flat to the wall 18 and positions the bar 32 laterally of the wall, the flange depending from the bar 32. The hook 24 is fitted over the edge of the wall 12 of the tank and the bars are disposed in overlapping relation with their slots in registry. The nuts 38 are then tightened to secure the bars tightly together. In such position, the bars hold the tank securely immobilized to the wall and also form a shelf behind the tank.

The bracket means may be pressed or stamped out of sheet metal in a simple and inexpensive manner and may be formed from metal, plastic or hard rubber. It is adjustable to fit any space between the rear wall of the flush tank and the room Wall and also may be made of varying sizes to fit the sides of a flush tank.

While the preferred form of this invention has been shown and described, other forms may be realized as come within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with the flush tank of a toilet unit, said flush tank having a rear wall spaced from and dis- I posed substantially parallel with the wall of a room;

bracket means for stabilizing the flush tank by anchoring it to the room wall, said bracket means comprising a first elongated, flat bar having first and second side edges and disposed horizontally between the rear wall and the room wall, a downwardly facing channel having parallel, spaced apart sides and a flat connecting web portion,

- one of said sides being integral with the first side edge of the first bar and upstanding therefrom, said channel being hooked over the upper edge of the rear wall of the flush tank with said one side of the channel engaging the outer surface of the rear wall, a second elongated, flat bar having first and second side edges, said second bar being arranged in facial contact with the first bar, a fiat flange depending from the first side edge of the second bar, means fixedly superimposing the flange on the room wall, said bars being disposed in overlapping relation at their second side edges and means adjustably securing the bars together for relative bodily adjustment between the rear wall of the flush tank and the room wall, said bars forming a stabilizing connection between the rear wall of the flush tank and the room wall and providing a shelf behind the rear wall of the flush tank.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the bars are coextensive in length and are of a length substantially equal to the width of the rear wall of the flush tank.

Benjamin Aug. 5, 1930 Ciraolo et 'al. May 19, 1931 

